Effect of power density on the structure properties of microcrystalline silicon film prepared by high-density low-ion-energy microwave plasma

The effect of microwave power density on the structure properties of microcrystalline silicon films (μc-Si films) deposited by high-density (> 1012 cm− 3) low-ion-energy microwave plasma at 400 °C substrate temperature has been investigated with X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and atomic force microscopy. The μc-Si films are deposited under conditions of depletion of silane in order to avoid the combined effect of deposition rate and plasma bombardment. The experimental results indicate that the reduction of the power density causes a shoulder to form in the Raman spectra and the microstructure of the films changes from dominant (110) to random. Based on the experimental results, it is deduced that a large quantity of ions impinging on the growth surface can prevent a polymerization reaction among the silane radicals and promote the formation of the (110) preferred orientation μc-Si film. The present results are successfully explained in terms of the mechanism of collision of ions with the precursor adsorbed on the growth surface.